My Cat Licks Me: Why Does My Cat Lick My Nose?

Scott Jeffrey

Written by

Scott Jeffrey
Written
by Scott Jeffrey

Written by:

Scott Jeffrey
Scott Jeffrey

Author: Scott Jeffrey

Scott is a professional blogger with 12+ years of experience in writing, and holds an MA in anthropology. He has two cats as housemates. Also, Scott is passionate to research on pet-related topics such as dog training, puppy feeding, and cat health.

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Updated on: 10/13/2021

If you’ve ever wondered why your cat is looking at your nose when you get in close and start cuddling with them, you may be curious to ask your veterinarian or seek out the professional opinion of a feline expert. A cat licking your nose or giving your little headbutts is often a way that they can transfer their scent and be more social with you. In nature, they lick to bond with one another, display affection, and share scents. Although it’s not the most subtle method for getting someone’s full attention, when a cat licks you and the headbutting that you get are often a way that your kitty is expressing how much they care about you.

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READ MORE: 8 Signs Your Cat Loves Your

Cats often have very complex emotions, and they often require less affectionate care than many pets like dogs. The simple affection you can get, like the licking of your nose, is often considered the highest level of affection and acknowledgment of you and a way to share their scent with you. Some reasons why your cat may be licking you do include:

1. Social bonding

When your cat licks, your knows it’s likely that it comes from a learned behavior in the wild. Social bonding often occurs between cats as they spend time grooming one another and exchanging their scent. Many older kitties will often exhibit this behavior with human companions to show affection as well as other cats that may be living in their home.

2. Expressing joy and complements

Your cat licking you indicates that it feels incredibly secure and safe with you and that you are just like part of the family. Cats will often lick faces because they want to share a closer connection with somebody, and they want to show the same level of affection that they saw from their mothers when they were groomed as young kittens.

3. Tasting something new

If you’ve come in from a warm run or it’s a hotter day and you are perspiring, it’s likely that there’s an added attraction for your cat to start tasting your skin. Sometimes felines are interested in the unappealing smell or taste that they can get from licking your skin. As they look more often, or if you’ve used a certain moisturizer or product on your skin, they may be interested to keep having a taste of it and exploring the scent.

4. Marking territory

Felines regularly mark their territory, and licking things help to transfer their scent is common. It is likely that your cat may lick you if you have gone to see other cats or you have other pets in the household. Cat licks may be regular because they feel more worried and jealous, so they need to mark their territory to keep other animals away.

5. Thanking you for all your attention

Felines regularly mark their territory, and licking things help to transfer their scent is common. It is likely that your cat may lick you if you have gone to see other cats or you have other pets in the household. Cat licks may be regular because they feel more worried and jealous, so they need to mark their territory to keep other animals away.

6. Attention seeking behavior

Some kitties that just want to seek attention from their owners will also come up and lick your face. You may ask “why does my cat lick my nose” when they get up from a nap. If it’s been some time since you have paid attention to your kitty or physically pet them, there is a chance they could just be seeking attention from you with cat lick behavior.

7. They may be experiencing some extra stress

If your cat has been experiencing some extra stress, you might notice that they’re going to be regularly licking around the home. They might lick humans and animals and the surrounding area as a stress mechanism and as a means of coping. Cats in this situation have a much higher probability of coming for your nose so that you will pay attention to them more directly and stop ignoring them while they are feeling stressed. 

READ MORE: How to Sedate a Cat Naturally?

Why does it hurt when they lick my nose?

A cat’s tongue is very different from a human’s tongue. Their licks are rough because a lick involves barbs.[1] Cats have rough barbs along with their tongues which are made from the same materials that you would find in their clause.

This makes their tongues feel just like sandpaper but it’s extremely crucial for helping your kitty groom themselves as well as remove any foreign object, dander and other items away from their fur. Grooming improves and your cat could benefit from licking. When you ask “why does my cat lick my nose,” you may be feeling like your nose gets scraped by sandpaper.

The barbs from a lick are an excellent innovation for improving grooming standards as well as making sure that they can drink water more easily. Barbs for Wildcats also offer an added benefit of being able to remove bones and hard cartilage from meat in the wild. 

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Photo by Eric Han on Unsplash

READ MORE: Meaning of Cat Sleeping Positions

How to stop your cat from licking you?

Because a cat’s tongue is extremely rough, you might want to consider discouraging the behavior of licking you. If you find lick between you and your cat to be unpleasant and you’d really rather avoid licking your face, there are some solutions that you can work on. The best way to discourage licking is to distract them when they want to lick your nose or face. Have cats interact with you differently. Many cats will often respond if you get a toy and engage with them rather than let them lick your face.[2]

What to note if your cat obsessively licks your nose?

If you find that your cat obsessively licks your nose, you’ll have to reshape this behavior over time. Although it might take you many weeks to regularly have your cat redirected with toys every time they lick your face, you need to stay persistent. If your kitty is obsessively licking your face over time, it can also be an indication that you’re showing an overall lack of affection compared to what they need. If your kitty is overly stressed and they’re regularly licking your face, it may also be an indication that you should seek veterinary care for your kitty so that they can stop some of their obsessive behavior.

FAQ

Why does my cat lick my nose when I sleep?

Many cats that lick noses while you are asleep are often engaging in attention-seeking behavior. Your kitty will often spend time licking you to get your attention when it’s feeling neglected or when you haven’t paid attention to it in some time. As your cat is likely a very light sleeper and much more active at night, it is not always easy for them to know when you’re asleep and for them to get the attention that they would like most in the evenings.

You may find that your cat tends to lick then and may continue to do so if you provide them with attention when you wake up. You can often discourage this behavior with some ongoing distractions and misdirection for your cat in the evenings.

Why does my cat lick my nose and bite it?

When your cat is Licking your nose and biting it, they tend to lick because it feels overwhelmed in the situation. Your cat is likely trying to pass along some of its scents to you but when it is unable to lick you and pass along the scent easily, it will often resort to biting. Biting is fairly common alongside licking for attention-seeking behavior and the passage of scent.

Biting can be a part of grooming and because the area of your cat’s nose where they express their scent is often located near the mouth, it can be an easier way for your kitty to pass along these scents to you. The biting behavior for your nose often comes down to your cat making the choice to claim you and this can be due to jealous behavior from other pets in the house or for a need to share their scent with you faster.

Why does my cat bite my hand or body?

When your cat bites your hand or your body it’s unlikely that they are going to be doing this for the same reason that they would bite your nose. Cats will often be licking your hands or your arms but this can regularly be in a rougher manner than they would for your nose or face. When your cat is biting and licking along your arm or leg, it is often a case where they’re going to be commanding attention, or they’re experiencing some type of distress.

When your pet really wants to get your attention, they will feel like they need to bite harder and try to get your focus the fastest way possible. If they have found it effective to bite or licks at your hand, this can often produce the best results. You can discourage this behavior by trailing them away from the area that they bite by making sure that you have a toy nearby. If you can misdirect your cat away with a catnip toy or other solution, you will be able to make sure that this behavior is discouraged in the future.

Are there other reasons my cat bites my arm?

A secondary reason why your kitty may bite at your arm often comes down to them feeling overwhelmed. If you’re petting or brushing your cat for example, you might notice that they will regularly bite down on the brush or try to bite you after a while. This often comes with your pet feeling overwhelmed about the attention that they are getting. It’s often best to let them take a moment if they are getting overly rambunctious and regularly biting at you during these times. By giving your pet just a few moments, you’ll likely be able to have them calm down and stop their biting behavior so that you can resume petting them again.

Is my cat hungry when they lick my nose?

When your cat is licking your nose it’s not always a sure sign that they are feeling overly hungry. Sometimes your cat may lick your nose or try to get your attention by licking your nose but this isn’t always a sure sign that they are feeling hungry. Your cat might just be seeking some type of attention. If you get into a habit of always feeding your cat when they are biting your nose, you might also reinforce the behavior and make sure that whenever your cat is hungry, they’re going to buy it you and licking your nose.

Should I give my cat treats when they lick my nose?

Although it’s extremely cute for your cat to lick your nose and it can often be a nice sign of affection, when you reward this behavior it can lead to the chance that your cat might start to try to bite your nose to seek treats or food. Acknowledges behavior when it happens but it is a good idea to celebrate it whenever possible without serious positive reinforcement like a treat or a meal.

Conclusion

If you have ever wondered about the idea of cats licking your nose and why the behavior often progresses into biting or why it hurts, hopefully, this article has helped you. If you’re experiencing difficulty as a result of this behavior, keep in mind that with some minor changes you can work at curbing it. Although it might not be easy for you to change the behavior right away you can make sure that your cat can lick and bite at you in a more gentle and affectionate way.

Article Sources:

  1. “Cool Facts About Your Cat’s Tongue.” Pet MD, 7 June 2021, petmd.com/cat/general-health/cool-facts-about-your-cats-tongue.
  2. Grigg, Emma K., and Lori R. Kogan. “Owners’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Care Practices: Exploring the Implications for Domestic Cat Behavior and Welfare in the Home.” MDPI, 15 Nov. 2019, mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/11/978.